


The Party

by The_Clock_Strikes_Twilight



Series: 'Tis the Season [2]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Christmas, Christmas Party, Drinking, Fluff and Angst, Holiday Season, Jealousy, Light Angst, M/M, Making Up, Post-Break Up, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-08
Updated: 2019-12-08
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:02:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21723421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Clock_Strikes_Twilight/pseuds/The_Clock_Strikes_Twilight
Summary: “Y’know, I really don’t feel like talking to you.”Now he rolls his eyes, shaking his head. “C’mon, Lea, do you really want to throw away years of friendship?”“No, I don’t. I really fucking don’t. But I can’t bounce back to being your friend just like that. It’s gonna take time and I sure as hell ain’t ready for that.”“Fine. When will you be ready?”“I don’t know. Not tonight, though. And not tomorrow. Not even in a week.” He gestures mildly to Isa’s date. “Unlike you.” He finishes off his cup. “Gonna get a refill. You should get back to your date.”And he walks away to return to the kitchen. He freshens up his drink and finishes half of it before turning around to see Demyx leaning against the doorframe with a shit-eating grin across his face.“Whatcha got there...?”
Relationships: Isa & Lea (Kingdom Hearts), Isa/Lea (Kingdom Hearts)
Series: 'Tis the Season [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1563262
Comments: 6
Kudos: 30





	The Party

**Author's Note:**

> Just wanna throw it out there, cuz I'm not sure I mentioned it before, but Lea and Isa will always be portrayed as adults and never as teenagers. Not sure if that would've been made obvious with Roxas and Xion and the rest of the kiddos being present, but I figured I'd just put it out there as a sort of disclaimer lmao Also, to reiterate, none of these stories are related unless stated otherwise.

“You invited _Isa_?” Lea says. “What the hell were you thinking?”

“I was thinking that Isa is our friend, too,” Kairi says as she bounces back and forth in the kitchen, prepping the appetisers for the party she’s throwing.

“Have you already forgotten that we just broke up?”

“No, I have not forgotten. But, regardless, Isa is still like another big brother to me.”

He clutches at his chest. “Break my heart, why don’t ya?”

She rolls her eyes. “Must you be so dramatic?”

“Must you invite my ex-boyfriend to your holiday party?”

She all but slams the tray she’s holding onto the counter. “Lea, I’m sorry, but the three of us have been friends since childhood. I am not going to start excluding him now. How is that fair?”

He grits his teeth. Damn it. He hates when she’s right. “Fine. But I am not talking to him and you can’t make me.”

“Fine. Whatever.” She takes the tray back in her hands. “So long as you’re civil.” She then heads out to the living room.

Lea takes a deep breath. “It’s gonna be a long night.”

And the night is only beginning, too. Kairi’s friends Riku and Sora are the first to arrive, along with Sora’s twin cousins, Roxas and Ventus. Not too long after that, Lea’s friend from work, Terra, shows up with his girlfriend Aqua.

“How many people are supposed to show up tonight?” Aqua asks.

“There will be at least twenty of us,” Kairi says, “give or take if anyone decides to bring someone along.”

“That’s a decent amount of people,” Terra says.

Roxas grins. “Yeah. Didn’t realise you had so many friends.”

Kairi scoffs at him, although there’s no real heat behind it. “I preferred you better when you were quiet and kept to yourself.”

Lea smiles. “Ah, yes, the good old days.”

Kairi giggles before responding to the next knock on the front door. She excuses herself and Riku approaches the setup of drinks.

“Which of these have alcohol in them?” he asks.

Lea leans back against the counter. “Nice try. Kairi has forbade any alcoholic beverages for the evening. It’s…unfortunate, really.”

“I wouldn’t have come if I had known that.”

“Shut up, yeah you would have.”

Riku chuckles. “Yeah, yeah, but still. Why no drinking?”

Lea shrugs his shoulders. “I dunno.”

“It’s because Lea is still sensitive to his and Isa’s breakup,” Ventus speaks up. “And Kairi is worried he’ll go overboard.”

“Hold on,” a female voice says from behind. They look to see Kairi returning with Xion and Naminé. “You and Isa broke up?” Naminé goes on. “When the hell did this happen and why am I only just hearing about it now?”

“It only happened, like, a week ago,” Lea tells her.

“Then I should have heard about it a week ago.” She huffs, defeated. “What happened? You two are so perfect together?”

“Tch. Apparently not.” He clears his throat. “Like Ven said, though, it’s still a bit of a sore spot for me, so I’d rather not talk about it.”

Her brow furrows. “I’m so sorry, Lea.”

“Don’t worry about it. Shit happens.”

That’s the end of it. More people start arriving and everyone splits up and starts chatting with the new guests. Lea can’t help but keep glancing at the door, though. Isa has yet to show up. He’s never been the type to show up late. Quite the opposite, actually. Usually, he’s at least ten or fifteen minutes early to event. Maybe he had decided against coming. Maybe he realised how uncomfortable it would be. Especially for Lea. Maybe—

The front door opens.

Or maybe he had just needed to pick up his… _date_.

Lea’s stomach drops. Hell, he’s shocked his entire body didn’t just drop. He turns away from the door and hightails it into the kitchen. He suddenly feels light-headed. The room is spinning. He can’t catch his breath. Shit. This can _not_ be happening. There’s no way in hell Isa just walked in with a date. Lea must’ve imagined it. He had to have. Isa wouldn’t do that. He’s not that inconsiderate. He’s not the _stupid_. He’s—

He’s introducing his date to Kairi. His date. Who Lea definitely didn’t imagine.

And Kairi is Kairi, so _of course_ she’ll be all sweet and polite. Of course she won’t get mad. Not in public. She won’t make a scene. It’s taking everything in Lea not to make a scene, though. He moves away from the threshold so he can’t see past the kitchen. He keeps telling himself to breathe. Reminding himself. It isn’t easy right now. Not with Isa on the other side of the wall _with a date_. Damn it. It’s only been a week. How could he do this? What the hell is he thinking? Tch. And to think he had told Lea he—

“There you are,” Xion says, finding her way into the kitchen. “Roxas and I weren’t sure where you had disappeared to and we got worried.”

“Where’s Roxas, then?”

“He’s checking the bathroom.” She moves closer to him, just a touch of hesitation in her steps. “What’s going through your head?”

Lea only shakes his head in response. Then Roxas is joining them. “Man, I can’t believe he’d pull a stunt like this,” he starts. “Maybe at a part of his own, yeah, but not as his ex-boyfriend’s sister’s party. This is bullshit.”

“I don’t know, Rox, it seems very out of character for him,” Xion goes on. “Maybe I can try talking to him about it before we all freak out.”

“Too late for that,” Lea speaks up. He swallows hard, trying to soothe his dry throat. “I’ll be fine. I just need a minute and I’ll be good as new.” He nods his head. He somehow got that out without his voice shaking. And it was convincing enough for Roxas and Xion. They both take their leave and rejoin the party. Lea lets out a heavy sigh as soon as they’re both gone. “Fuck me…”

He takes a look around the kitchen before checking the doorway again. He watches and waits to see if anyone else will walk in. Then the sound of Isa’s laughter carries in from the next room over. A lyrical sound that could rattle the stars. Right now, though, it’s only piercing Lea’s heart. So, he starts searching through the cabinets until he finds—

“Bingo.” He examines the bottle, feeling _almost_ guilty but not guilty enough. “Sorry, Kairi, but desperate times call for desperate measures.” He grabs a mug and pours his sister’s homemade hot cocoa into it. He then proceeds to pour his… _special_ ingredient into the cup and mixes it together. “This’ll make the night so much better.”

He stashes the bottle under the sink and rejoins the party. Roxas introduces Lea to a few of his friends from school: Hayner, Pence, and Olette. They seem friendly enough. Like the exact kind of people Roxas would hang out with. Once they start talking about school, though, Lea excuses himself. He sneaks back into the kitchen to refill his cup, then sneaks back into the party. He looks around at all the faces enjoying themselves. He spots Kairi and watches her while she enjoys herself. He smiles, that feeling of remorse bubbling up again. He looks down at the cup in his hand. He should probably pour the rest of this out before he gets too—

“Lea,” a voice catches his attention. Catches him off guard.

He freezes and swallows hard. He looks beside himself at Isa. “Hey.”

The corners of his lips twitch. It’s like he’s trying not to smile. Tch. Maybe he understands how inappropriate that would be. Maybe he understands how inappropriate his actions are. “How are you?”

“Great,” Lea says, maybe a little too swiftly. He nods his head. “I’m awesome.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“Are you?”

Isa is taken aback by this. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I dunno. Why the fuck are you talking to me instead of your date?”

His gaze drops. “Lea—”

“Y’know, I really don’t feel like talking to you.”

Now he rolls his eyes, shaking his head. “C’mon, Lea, do you really want to throw away years of friendship?”

“No, I don’t. I really fucking don’t. But I can’t bounce back to being your friend just like that. It’s gonna take time and I sure as hell ain’t ready for that.”

“Fine. When will you be ready?”

“I don’t know. Not tonight, though. And not tomorrow. Not even in a week.” He gestures mildly to Isa’s date. “Unlike you.” He finishes off his cup. “Gonna get a refill. You should get back to your date.”

And he walks away to return to the kitchen. He freshens up his drink and finishes half of it before turning around to see Demyx leaning against the doorframe with a shit-eating grin across his face.

“Whatcha got there?”

No point in lying. “Rum,” Lea says. “This hot chocolate has rum in it. I’ve been putting rum in my hot chocolate.”

He laughs as if he won some sort of bet. “Awe, man, I _knew_ there was something off about your behaviour.”

Lea raises a finger to his lips and practically stumbles over to Demyx. “Don’t—Do not tell Kairi. She will be so pissed.”

“And ruin and opportunity to see drunk-Lea? Hell no. I love drunk-Lea.”

He groans. “Man, this ain’t good.” They exit the kitchen together and Lea’s gaze almost instantly finds Isa’s across the room. Isa breaks the contact first. “I hate this.”

“It’s okay to be jealous,” Demyx tells him. “Hell, dude, _I’m_ jealous. His date is fucking _hot_. Ienzo is his name.” He pauses. “Maybe I could steal him away. I mean, they don’t even look like they’re flirting with each other or anything. I don’t think I’ve seen them touch once tonight.”

“It takes Isa a while to get to that touchy-feely point.”

Shit. Even he can hear his words starting to slur. He needs to slow it down. But the longer he’s in the same room with Isa and his date— _Ienzo_ —the more he wants to drink. The more he wants to not be aware of his ex-boyfriend’s presence.

“Didn’t seem to take long with you,” Demyx goes on.

“Because we’ve known each other since we were four.”

“Right, right. Makes sense.” He nods. “Either way, my offer’s still open.” He grins as he smooths his hair back. “No one can resist Demyx once the charm gets turned on.”

“Don’t bother.”

He watches Isa for a couple seconds longer before finishing his cup. He then nearly falls over. Demyx yells… _something_ —he’s not sure what—as he moves promptly to catch Lea and keep him on his feet. Oh yeah. The alcohol is definitely hitting him now. Hard. Kairi and Naminé rush over to him and they’re both speaking—he can clearly see their mouths moving—but he can’t hear a single word either of them is saying. Demyx guides him to the armchair and everyone else starts to gather round, as well. Riku and Roxas and Xion and Ventus and—Lea drops his head in his hands and grips at his hair, practically pulling on it. Not being able to hear anything before had been better than _this_. Now he can hear everyone; he just can’t process anything that’s being said. It’s sensory overload. And the gentle hand on his shoulder is the final straw.

“ _Stop_ ,” he calls out, jumping to his feet.

His eyes are closed, but he can feel the stares of the others. He can feel the gazes burning through him. So, he storms out of the apartment. He storms out of the building. He needs fresh air. He needs—

“I do—do not—don’t need you coming after me,” he says when he spots Isa coming out of the complex behind him.

“You’re drunk,” Isa says back.

“What _the fuck_ do you care?” He had had way more alcohol than he realised. “You’re not obligated to care anymore.”

“Friends care. I’m still your friend.”

“I don’t want you to—to be my friend.”

He clenches his jaw. “What the hell is your issue?”

“S-seriously? You really—? You have to ask me that?” He laughs to cover up a scoff. “Fuck, Isa, you sh-showed up with someone else.”

“Yes, because we broke up.”

“A _week_ ago.” He stumbles into the alley beside the complex. Isa continues to follow him. “Hell, and I’m supposed to think now—I’m supposed to _believe_ that you meant it when you told me you—that you loved me?”

“That’s not fair. You’re the one who didn’t say it back.”

“Because I wasn’t ready. N-not because I didn’t feel it, too.” He slumps against the nearest wall. He probably shouldn’t have said that. Man, being drunk is exhausting. Yet there’s something about this argument that’s completely sobering.

“Lea…” Isa seems to be at a loss for words. “Why didn’t you tell me that before?”

He’s staring at the wet ground. “I dunno.” His voice is much lower now than it had been before. “Guess I was afraid of upsetting you or…whatever.”

He considers this. “So, ending the relationship was the better way of handling it?”

“I didn’t know what else to do.”

“You should’ve talked to me. I mean, we’d only been dating for six months. We’ve only known each other our whole lives. I would think talking to me should be second nature to you by now.”

“Well, it ain’t that simple.”

“Why not?”

Lea’s not sure why. He just knows he had been so afraid of fucking up with Isa that he went ahead and jumped the gun. He ended the relationship before he could screw up for real. And now… Tch. Now he’s drunk in an alley with his sober ex—ex-best friend, ex-boyfriend—and he’s never felt more ridiculous. More stupid. More ashamed. Man, this is the worst kind of fuck up he could’ve accomplished.

“You’ve made a fool of yourself,” Isa goes on.

“Good. Guess you got off easy, then.”

“Are you that fucking dumb? I mean, listen to yourself, Lea.”

“Little too drunk to process.”

Isa takes a step closer to him. “Why did you end our relationship?”

Lea shrugs his shoulders. “Figured you would’ve ended it on your own seeing as I didn’t say… _it_ back.”

His brow furrows. “Do you know me at all? You really believe I would’ve broken up with you over something that trivial? Because I wouldn’t have. You didn’t have to say it back right away. Hell, I would’ve waited another six months if I had to. Or longer.”

“C’mon, how would that have been fair?” It’s taking everything in him to keep his voice from cracking.

“It has absolutely nothing to do with fairness.” He shakes his head. “I-I can’t force you to say something you’re not ready for. And I wouldn’t.”

Lea squeezes his eyes shut. When did they become so wet? Damn it… “Isa—” He chokes on the words.

He feels Isa step even closer to him. Feels him close the distance between them. Feels the warmth of his body. The pressure of it as he gently pulls Lea into his arms. Presses their foreheads together. Cups Lea’s cheeks, stroking them. Wiping away the drunken tears. Man, tonight is a disaster. But maybe it’s redeemable.

“This doesn’t have to be over,” Isa speaks up, his voice soft.

Lea can feel Isa’s breath against his lips. He can still taste the alcohol on his own tongue. This isn’t a good idea. Not now. Not like this. But Isa is right there. And it’s only been a week, but, damn it, he’s missed him like it’s been a lifetime.

A lifetime without Isa would be a dreary existence.

He holds his breath as he brings their lips together. Isa doesn’t retreat. He smiles into the kiss and wraps his arms around Lea’s neck. So, Lea wraps his arms around Isa’s waist. Yeah. This is the lifetime he wants. The lifetime he desires.

“I should probably go apologise to your date,” Lea says once they break apart.

Isa shakes his head. “Ienzo isn’t my date.”

“Huh? Why didn’t you say anything, then?”

“Well, honestly, I was enjoying your jealousy until I realised you were drunk.”

“Then who he is?”

“An old friend from the abroad programme I participated in our third year of college. He made plans to visit this weekend and it just sorta worked out that Kairi threw the party while he’s here. I brought him because I think he’d be a good match for Demyx.”

“Well, good, because Demyx thinks he’s hot and was planning on stealing him from you anyhow.”

He chuckles. “Of course.” He steps away from Lea, who reluctantly lets him go. “C’mon, it’s freezing out here. Let’s get back inside and get some water in your system.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

As soon as they make it back to the apartment, Kairi rushes over to them. She starts going off about—Lea’s not entirely sure. He just knows that Isa calms her down. They then slip away to the guest bedroom. Isa tells Lea to get comfortable before leaving to retrieve him a glass of water. Lea watches Isa as he leaves before heading into the bathroom. He stands at the sink and splashes cold water on his face. He then takes a deep breath before meeting his reflection’s gaze. His eyes already look sunken. A duller shade of green. They’ll look even worse in the morning, too. Hell, drinking like this never ends well for him, yet he continues to do it. And it’s always worse when he’s upset about something. He needs a better outlet. He needs—

Isa appears in the reflection behind him. “Here.” He hands him the glass of water.

Lea turns to face him and takes the cup. “Thank you.” He drinks it in one go before setting the empty cup down. He then wraps his arms around Isa and pulls him in close. Isa smiles as he goes with the flow of the motion. “I’m sorry,” Lea says. “I’ve been a jerk.”

“No, you’re just an idiot,” Isa says. “Quite frankly, I’m used to that, though.”

He chuckles. “Oh, thanks.” He then sighs. “But I am sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologise. I should’ve realised sooner what was bothering you.”

“It’s not your job to read my mind.”

Isa smiles softly as he places a hand on Lea’s cheek. Lea closes his eyes and leans into the touch. Next thing he knows, Isa’s hand is bracing itself at the nape of his neck and pulling him in for another kiss. This one is hard and desperate. Lea’s hand leave Isa’s waist just so he can catch himself on the counter with the force of Isa pressing against him. It’s been a long week and Lea—in his still nearly drunken state—is tempted to carry Isa to the bed. Or just sit him on the countertop instead. With the way Isa is kissing him and tugging at his shirt, Lea knows he wouldn’t complain.

That’s when they hear somebody clear their voice from the doorway. Isa quickly removes himself from Lea’s hold and they both look to see Kairi standing there, arms folded across her chest. Roxas is snickering to himself behind her.

“I see you two have made up,” she says.

Lea jumps a bit to seat himself atop the counter. “C’mon, sis, I thought you’d be happier for us.”

She shakes her head. “I can’t believe you went behind my back and got drunk.”

“Can my scolding wait till the morning? I can already feel a headache coming on.”

“But I wanna be hear when she screams at you,” Roxas speaks up.

Kairi turns on him. “Go home.”

He jokingly pouts. “Fine. Great party, Kairi. I’ll see you guys later.” He turns to leave but stops. “Oh, Isa, your date left with Demyx. Just so you know.”

Isa chuckles under his breath. “I suppose no one can compete with his charm.”

He pauses. “Uh…we are talking about the same Demyx, right?”

“Go,” Kairi says again.

“Okay, okay.” He bids them farewell once more and takes his leave.

Kairi now turns on Isa. “Did you plan this?”

“Not on Lea getting drunk, no.”

Her jaw drops and she seems to be at a loss for words. “You’re both absolutely ridiculous and that is what makes the two of you such a perfect couple.” She walks away, shaking her head. “Unbelievable…”

Once she’s gone, Lea slips off the counter and steps up to Isa, pushing him back until he has him pressed against the wall. He places his hands on the wall on either side of Isa’s head. “Seeing as there’s a damn good chance your date won’t be home tonight, maybe that means you can stay with me.”

Isa swallows hard. “And why would I want to?”

Lea smirks. He brings his lips to Isa’s, kissing him fervently. Isa kisses back with the same passion, sliding his hands up Lea’s chest and to his shoulders. Lea presses their bodies—their hips—together in response, causing Isa to whimper ever so slightly.

“That was quite a compelling argument,” Isa says once Lea pulls away. “But I really don’t think this would be a good idea tonight. Considering.”

He smooths Isa’s hair back. “I know. You’re right.” He places a soft kiss atop his forehead. “Will you still at least stay with me and keep me company?”

“Only to make sure you don’t vomit on yourself in your sleep.”

He chuckles. “Yeah, that’s a mood killer, all right.”

With that, the two of them get ready for bed. They slip into the bed and Isa convinces Lea to sleep on his side, despite how much he hates doing so. Lea closes his eyes, exhaustion having taken over him as soon as his head hit the pillow. He breathes deep and lets out a content sigh. Hmm. A little part of him is disgruntled with himself seeing as this whole situation could’ve been avoided if he had just talked with Isa in the first place. But he’s just happy—thankful—they were able to work things out. Now Lea knows better for the next time he fucks up. He hopes there won’t actually be a next time, but—

“Lea,” Isa speaks up through the darkness.

“Yeah, babe?”

There’s a pause and Lea knows it’s because Isa is blushing at the pet name. He smiles at the thought. “I do love you,” Isa then says. “And I’m not saying that just to hear you say it back. I’m saying it just so you know.”

Lea shifts so he can kiss Isa’s cheek. “Tell me again when I’m sober.”

Isa lets out a small huff or breath and Lea can _hear_ the playful eyeroll from it. “Goodnight, you impossible moron.”

He grins to himself. Yeah. Isa will tell him again in the morning. When Lea’s sober. When he has a clearer mind. And maybe then, after the week that’s passed, Lea will have a new response for him. A different response. A better response.

Nothing like alcohol and jealousy to help Lea realise his true feelings. Tch. Happy fucking holidays.

**Author's Note:**

> Quote Prompt: "This hot chocolate has rum in it."


End file.
